Daxter - PSP - Preview 2

We should've
seen this coming. Jak & Daxter are two well-known characters that launched
four hit games. Lush worlds, near-Mario-quality controls, interesting puzzles,
and a scavenger hunt with more to find than the obvious. With each game Jak
slowly took center stage as the star. Meanwhile, Daxter was taken out of the
title (the sequels were Jak II, Jak III, and Jak X), and his role was slightly
less significant.

Before I
continue let me clear the assumptions by saying that that is not a
reason to give a character his own game. After all, he is kind of hyper and
might not have been that popular to begin with.

On the other
hand, a promising game concept is a very good reason to give Daxter his
own title. With bug-destroying battles, vehicular combat and chase sequences
in mind, developer Ready At Dawn put the game into action.

Daxter is an
interesting little bugger. He controls very well, walking or running with
varying degrees of pressure applied to the thumb pad. Typical platformer and
action/adventure stuff that's necessary to make the game feel natural. What
isn't typical – though a fun treat – is being able to crawl around in animal
position and navigate through cramped areas. Daxter can climb certain
surfaces, no suction cups or grappling hooks required.

Adjacent
walls offer fun flexibility. I found it possible to jump seamlessly from one
wall to the next while climbing, creating a zigzag movement that sent Daxter
to the top in no time.

Daxter also
has the ability to double jump, as does his low-flying vehicle. The vehicle is
used during chase and puzzle levels where you have to hunt down a bug or
revitalize a few dozen plants within the time limit. When you're hovering
around and come towards a small bump, Daxter can get a slight boost that'll
push him higher into the air, then follow up with another that pushes him a
little bit higher. Nothing in this build indicated that double-jumping would
be necessary to win a battle, but it does make cruising around a little
easier.

Your eyes
will widen as they try to take in every ounce of graphical goodness. This is
the first PSP action/adventure I've played that looks like it was designed for
PlayStation 2. The backgrounds are more colorful than other PSP titles, a
small fry in comparison to the scope and size of these wonderfully detailed
worlds.
You can't change the camera on your own except with the L and R buttons,
which spin the camera but do not tilt, zoom or adjust the view in any other
way (PSP could've used two analog sticks to solve this ongoing problem).
Fortunately, the game tends to keep the view wide in areas with large
landscapes.

More often
than not buildings and natural structures will tower above the screen,
increasing the sense that you are in a gigantic, immersive world that is not
at all like the real one we live in. To see everything, press the top
directional button and the camera will zoom into Daxter, giving you a
first-person view for world examination. You can't walk while in this view –
if you see an enemy coming and need to defend yourself, press any of the face
buttons and the view will go back to normal.

Bugs seem to
be the main enemy in this game, and it's up to Daxter to take care of the
problem. Exterminating them means getting out the ol' fly swatter, except in
this case it's an electrical device that fries the bugs till there's nothing
left but ashes. Splat-ridden graphics and quirky sound effects do apply.

These bugs,
as luck would have it, are everywhere. You'll visit a ton of new locations
that look like they were taken from (or perhaps inspired by) the Jak & Daxter
series. Industrial interiors, mountainous outdoor worlds, waterfalls and
several platforms - everything a side story needs.

Something
else this game needed likely came from the Ratchet & Clank series. Ratchet
liked to use a plethora of third-person shooter-style weapons to take down his
enemies. Daxter likes to do the same, albeit with less deadly results. He'll
get a flame thrower of some kind, but first he receives a stun gun that
releases a non-harmful green gas. The gas is intended to stun the opponent,
letting you go in for the kill without having to worry about retaliation.

There are
some bugs likely to pop in and out of the ground. Strike them once and they'll
dig into the ground to protect themselves from being eliminated. Stun them
first and you'll be able to attack them as freely as you wish. Move too slowly
and these bugs will escape again. It's better to be on guard and waste a
little than it is to be frugal and have the bug get away.

Daxter is set to launch in time
for PSP's one-year anniversary in March. It's got a lot going for it –
controls that are nearly comparable to Jak & Daxter for PS2, spectacular
visuals with fully rendered characters and backgrounds (no blocky shapes; no
fog!), an interesting soundtrack, good voice-overs, top-notch animation, and
some of the best mechanics seen in a PSP action/adventure. Be sure to check
this one out as soon as it arrives.